Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Are You Game?

Design21 Social Design Network, in partnership with UNESCO, is holding an international competition to design a game that aims to create change by improving lives or inspiring new behaviors. (via Osocio)

The Social Design Network is a member organization with a mission to "inspire social activism through design".

Design a game that aims to create change by improving lives or inspiring new behaviors.

A crisis can bring about change. It forces us to rethink our lives and our relationships and lead us to adopt new outlooks or rethink the way we do things. While the world has been rocked by a deep recession, many have seen the flip-side of this crisis as one of opportunity; the chance to start over, or reset priorities, to take initiative to create some positive and meaningful change in their lives, big or small.

The goal of this competition is to come up with the idea and design for a game that can improve lives or inspire new behaviors, whether personally, professionally or communally, to create change.

The game could teach an individual or a group new life skills or propose a more sustainable way of living, working or interacting either at home or in our community. It does not have to operate on a grand scale. Small is also welcome. The objective and spirit of the game should be to inspire or create positive change.

It can be a digital or online game, or take the form of a traditional board game, or simply be an activity that is interactive (like charades, for example). It can be designed for one, two or more "players." But it must be a game and that also means involving an element of fun.

Your game must be clearly explained with images and words (not words alone).

You must not enter any design that already exists on the market or has been put into commercial production, or that you do not own the rights to.

You must join the network to enter, and entries will be judged on the quality of the idea and how well it responds to the brief. There are cash prizes, as well as a people's choice.

You need to apply by May 11. Public voting is two days later. And the results will be announced on June 1.